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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. swing — music
  4. track — a song
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. club — a group
  7. lean — to bend
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a path
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — in music
  12. lean — thin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. track — to keep track
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. object — to protest
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. object — an aim
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com